Not that it should come as a huge surprise, but Apple made out like a bandit in the past two years, according to research firm Counterpoint. It captured the whopping 66% of the smartphone industry's more than a hundred billion in operating profits for the period, peaking at over 80% during the last holiday quarter, and will probably do the same for this current one.
The team from Cupertino left only a few tens of billions on the table for all the other phone makers to share, and the bulk of what was left went to Samsung's mobile department.
Samsung is followed not-so-closely by Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, while Xiaomi's "5% profit" strategy has destined it to stay in the last profit place among the big phone brands (but first in the hearts of consumers and value-for-money hunters).
After two slump years, due to high prices and ever-increasing upgrade cycles, phone sales are showing modest signs of recovery, boding well for Apple's bottom line in 2020 as well. The 5G push of carrier networks in Apple's bread-and-butter US and Asian markets may lead to increased demand for upgrades to the 5G iPhone 12 models, while Apple's charge into the services and entertainment industry will ensure a steady stream of revenue otherwise.
All in all, Apple leaves just a third of mobile phone industry profits on the table for all other brands to fight over, which still represents a good chunk of change for everyone involved so the competition isn't going to abate any time soon.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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